Supporting means for car doors



Jan, 5, 1932. K. J. "roam ET AL 1,340,055

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CAR DOORS Filed Nov. 28. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T w F 17- 4 MLL/QM W DEE/90w 51X 1 ,7 f

Jan. 5, 1932. K. .1. TOBIN ET AL 1,840,065

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CAR DOORS Filed Nov. 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE KENNETH J. TOBIN AND 1W. 'DARRC'W, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORSEO CAMEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACOB-PORATION OF ILLINOIS SUPPORTING MEANS FOR GAR DOORS Application filed November 28,1927. Serial No. 236,110.

This invention relates to supporting means for car doors and the application is in part a division of our copending applicationSerial N0. 755,82 .11, filed December 15, .1924

5 In the past, a great deal of 'difliculty has been encountered in Operating the sliding doors on house cars of railroads, for the reason that during transit the supporting track for the door or parts of the car became dis torted, with the result that the doors would stick tightly againstmovement. In some cases it requires a gang ofmen and tools to dislodge the car door and open the same. In some instances private corporations have used engines for opening the car doors. It is immaterial if a car door is perfectly hung when the car is constructed forthe'reason that parts will soon become distorted after a short haul hasbeen completed. 1 i

This invention is designed to overcome the above mentioned objections. To this end the car door is balanced upon a single pivotal support which may be roller or the like, in such a manner that the car door can weave inwardly or outwardly, as well as upward or down,-whereby any distortions in the differ ent parts will not interfere with the operation of the car door, since the door is free to adjust itself according tothese distortions,

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined intheappended claims. In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain preferred embodiments of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer .O similar features in the different views: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a car door 'supported a'ccordingto this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken uponf the line II-II of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fraginentary'top" plan view of the door, illustrating the terminal antifri-ction rollers thatengage beneath the track.

Figure 4. is an enlarged sectional view nalledtherein which travels upon thetrack 4.

taken upon the line IV-IV of Figure 5,

illustratinga slight modification of the supporting means for the door.

I Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1, illustrating the modified form of supporting means in front elevation.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the lower part of a car door, illustrate ing the application of the invention to a base track. L

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional viewtaken upon the line VII-VII of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line VIII- VIII of F igure 6. i

As shown on the drawings:

The invention, in its broadest aspects, consists of a doorhaving a single pivotal support upon a flat track, with means for so guiding the same that it can tilt in its plane, or weave inwardly or outwardly, due to its single pivotal support whereby the door can freely adjust itself to overcome distortions of any nature.

In referring now to the drawings, {espe cially Figures 1 to 3, it will be noted that a sheet metal car door 1 has been illustrated. The car door 1 is provided with a'support 2 which the present instance, is shown as in the form of a hanger which has a roller bearing box 8 which extends over a track 4 which is secured against the upper margin of the door openin 1 It willbe noted that the track 4 is formed by a web of a Z-bar having one flange 5 attached to the top angle 15 of thecar and a depending flange6 which is sufficiently spaced from the door as indicated at 16 in Figure 2 to allow the door to weave inwardly andoutwardly. The aforementioned bearing boxof the hanger 2 has a roller 7 jour- The hanger .2 is centrally supported of the door in order to support the same in balanced position.

i Along the upper edge of the door there is a .Z-bar 8 and upon the ends of the Z-bar are castings 9. Each casting has an upstanding arcuate lug ,10 to reduce friction andin 0pposed relation to the upstanding flange of the Z -bar 8. A short shaft llintegral with said lugextends through an aperture in said flange 100 and an anti-friction. roller 12 is ,journalled upon said shaft. It will be noted that these anti-friction rollers at the two ends of the door are spaced a slight distance below the track 4 in order to provide for a limited amount of tilting movement.

Instead ofusing the form of roller 7 shown in Figures 1 to 3, a spherical roller or ball 13 may be substituted therefor. It will of course be necessary to form the hanger 2a in this instance with a spherical socket for retaining the spherical roller 13. Also instead of using the terminal rollers 12, suitable spherical rollers 14 may be substituted as shown in Figure 4. In this instance a suitable bracket 9d is attached to the Z-bar 8 on the door and this casting 9a is provided with a spherical socket for retaining the spherical roller 14. It will be noted that the construction is such that the spherical roller 14 is normally spaced a short distance below the track 4 and may ride against the depending flange of the top angle 15 of the car. It will also be noted in Figure 4 that tiie upstanding flange of the Z-bar 8 and the depending flange 6 of the track are spaced apart as indicated at 16 to allow inward and outward weaving of the door. It will of course be understood that the spherical rollers 13 and 14 may be mounted to rotate in any direction.

In Figures 1 to 5 inclusive the invention has been illustrated in connection with a suspended car door. In Figures 6 to 8 there is illustrated an application of the invention to the bottom of the car door in which a single roller is located upon the lower edge of the door for supporting the same in balanced position. Referring to Figures 6 to 8 it will be noted that the car door which is indicated by the reference numeral 10, is provided with a suitable space at the lower central part for receiving a channel shaped housing 17. The lower Z-bar 18 of the door is cut away to receive the roller 7 which is journalled upon a shaft 19 carried by the housing 17 The outer flange of the channel housing comprises a portion 20 which extends beneath the web of the Z-bar 18 andv this portion 20 is also slotted to receive the roller 7. An angular lug 21 is secured at each end of the housing. The lower flange of said angular lug extends beneath the web of the Z-bar l8. Beneath the roller 7 there is a track 22 which is suitably supported from the sill of the car by means of a bracket 23. The surface of the track 20 is a plain flat horizontal surface whereon the roller may travel in any direction according to the movements of the door is passing distortions on the car. It will be noted that the door 1a is supported so that it can be moved inwardly or outwardly a limited amount just as the doors described with respect to Figures 1 to 5.

Adjacent each end of the door there is a bracket 24 which is bolted to the door. This bracket depends below the door and has provision for supporting an anti-friction roller 25 which is normally spaced a short distance below the track 22 as shown in Fi re 8 in order that the door may be tilted in its plane. It will be appreciated that the rollers 25 will engage the bottom of the track 22 when the door is sufliciently tilted and will also prevent the ends of the door from sliding on the track when the same has been tilted.

It will be noted with reference to Figures 2 and 4 that the depending flange 6 of the track 4 overlaps the upstanding flange 8a of the Z-bar 8 on the top of the door in spaced relationso that the door can weave inwardly and outwardly according to encountered distortions. Likewise, in Figures 6 to 8, the lower flange 18a of the bottom Z-angle extends below the baek of the track 22 which is positioned outwardly a suflicient distance to provide for proper weaving clearance. These overlapping parts hence form guide members that allow weaving movement of the door.

It will be obvious that the particular support for the car door involving a flat horizontal track on the car and a rolling element on the door that can travel in any direction on the track and pivot to allow inward and outward weaving movements of the door, will eliminate the severe binding that has frequently occurred in the past. It will also be appreciated that when an attendant starts to open or close the door and pushes upon one edge thereof, the door will tilt, swinging the center of gravity toward the direction of operation as to materially assist in operating the door.

We are aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a house car having a doorway, a flat track adjacent one margin of the doorway, a door having a single roller for supporting said door upon said track for inward and outward weaving movements, rollers upon the ends of the door and normally spaced from said track to provide for a tilting movement of the door in the plane thereof, said door and track having overlapping guiding parts normally in spaced relation to allow for said inward and outward weaving movements of said door.

2. In a house car having a doorway, a horizontal flat track adjacent one margin of the doorway, a sliding door for said doorway,

a single support located at the vertical center line of said door, a roller carried by said support for traveling movements upon one side of said track, anti-friction means upon said door and normally spaced from the other side of said track to permit a limited tiltin movement of the door in the plane thereo and spaced guiding members between said door and track to allow said door to adjust itself in transverse directions.

3. In a house car, having a doorway, a flat track adjacent one margin of the doorway, a single roller upon said track, adapted for rectilinear and lateral movement thereon, a door, a connection between said roller and door and so located as to normally balance the door upon said track, and guiding means between said door and track, said guiding means permitting a predetermined weaving movement of the door.

4. In a house car having a doorway, a flat track adjacent one margin of the doorway, a sliding door, a single pivotal support so attached to said door as to normally support said door in balanced position upon said track for tilting movements in the plane thereof and in and out weaving movements, and guiding means between said door and track providing for such tilting and weaving movements.

5. In a house car having a doorway, a flat track adjacent one margin of the doorway, a sliding door, a bracket on said door, a spherical roller supported in said bracket for traveling movements upon said track, said bracket being so located as to normally balance said door upon said track, and spherical rollers between the ends of said door and track and normally spaced from said track to allow a tilting movement of the door in the plane thereof, and spaced guiding means between said door and track providing for a limited in and out weaving movement of said door.

said bracket as to be normally balanced upon said track, said door having an upper guide flange extending in spaced relation to the first mentioned flange to allow inward and out weaving movements thereof and spherical rolling elements attached to the upper ends of the door, said spherical elements being normally in spaced relation with said track and having a bearing portion adjacent the depending flange of said track.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

KENNETI-IJ. TOBIN. WILLIAM WV. DARROW.

6. The combination with a sliding door, of I a flat track therefor, a single pivotal support upon said door for normally sustaining said door in balanced position upon said track for tilting movement in the plane thereof and in and out weaving vmovements, and guiding means between said door and track permitting such tilting and weaving movements.

7. The combination with a house car having a doorway with a flat overhead track having a depending guide flange, of a sliding door therefor having an upper guide flange extending inwardly of the first mentioned flange in spaced relation therewith to allow a weaving movement for the door. a

single pivotal support so located upon the door as to normally suspend thesame in balanced position upon said track, and anti-friction means between the upper ends of said door and track and normally spaced from said track to allow a tilting movement of the door in the plane thereof.

8. In a house car havinga doorway, a flat track adjacent the upper margin of the doorway, and having a depending flange, a single spherical roller upon said track, a bracketsup-portlng said roller, a door so attached to 

